Does not make the news as much as firming up their A380's, but Transaero has also announced a firm order for 6 SSJ 100's plus 10 options.

This order is of particular importance as it comes after the Indonesia crash that could have put some doubts on the SSJ. It is a firm order from a reliable customer and therefore an important vote of confidence in the aircraft in this critical time.

And while we're talking about the Superjet, recently it has celebrated its first year of operations with SU.

By June 15, 2012 eight SSJ100s of Aeroflot accumulated 6,865 flight hours in 3,710 revenue flights and carried more than 220,000 passengers.
The best results in terms of monthly utilization were reached by aircraft MSN 95011 and MSN 95016 in May 2012 with a figure of 249 and 240 flight hours respectively. The biggest numbers of flights per month were performed by aircraft MSN 95010 and MSN 95008 in September and August 2011 and stood at 151 and 157 flights. The largest daily utilization reached 16 flight hours.

Overall it seems the Superjet is performing well in service, but Sukhoi is really struggling to get production ramped up. Achieving meaningful and steady production rates seems to be the program's current challenge.

There is no determined cause as the investigation is going on but they have found both the flight and voice recorder so we will know. Mandala499s analysis points to a tragic pilot error staying on a "landing circuit" outgoing leg to long due to radio congestion (not coming through to get OK to turn back to field and not knowing the dangerous nature of the terrain up-ahead). If true it was no Russian false heroism showing of the frame just a very sad lapse.

Quoting r2rho (Thread starter):It is a firm order from a reliable customer and therefore an important vote of confidence in the aircraft in this critical time.

Yes I do agree about this!!! According to the link in the opening thread - Olga Pleshakova:

Quote:Transaero is committed to support Russian aircraft manufacturing with our firm orders. We chose Sukhoi Superjet 100 as the most modern Russian aircraft that is highly competitive with best models in its class. These aircraft in Transaero's fleet will contribute in meeting an important challenge for the Russian civil aviation 2013 to develop an affordable regional route network in our country

This statement is really logic. Only that there will be another model in there fleet next to 737 / 747 / 767 / 777 and now on order the 320NEO, 380, possible soon confirmed the 748-I and the SSJ!!! Not rather to much??

Quoting B738FlyUIA (Reply 4):This statement is really logic. Only that there will be another model in there fleet next to 737 / 747 / 767 / 777 and now on order the 320NEO, 380, possible soon confirmed the 748-I and the SSJ!!! Not rather to much??

They grow fast and need aircraft soon, but I believe we will see a streamlined fleet in the future. The 747 classics will be retired soon by 747-400s and hopefully 747-8Is, the 737 classics will be replaced by the SSJ and A320NEO. 777s will stay for awhile, maybe the 767s as well.

What market is Transaero exactly trying to serve? I'm asking this because of the many different aircraft they have (on order) as well as the many flights to holiday destinations and the lack of flights to the more "conventional" destinations.

Quoting B738FlyUIA (Reply 4):Only that there will be another model in there fleet next to 737 / 747 / 767 / 777 and now on order the 320NEO, 380, possible soon confirmed the 748-I and the SSJ!!! Not rather to much??

Not yet, if they hurry, they could still get some used 717's.

Quoting lightsaber (Reply 8):Achieving meaningful and steady production rates seems to be the program's current challenge.

Sales have a wee bit of an impact there too.

Sales are not too bad; I estimate that Sukhoi has a "reliable" backlog of 100 frames or more. "Reliable" as in likely to be fulfilled by the airline. Adding the less reliable orders takes it up to around 200. IMO, the lack of a sustained steady delivery rate, and therefore lack of in service aircraft to further prove it with airlines, and lack of a reliable delivery schedule, is hampering further sales. Sukhoi needs to get more of them out there, faster.